Lions’ Ron Bartell: Broken neck didn’t change how I play

Posted by Michael David Smith on June 25, 2013, 12:49 PM EDT

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Lions cornerback Ron Bartell suffered a broken neck in the first game of the 2011 season and has managed to play in just seven games since then. But Bartell says health concerns won’t change how he plays.

The two fractured vertebrae ended Bartell’s 2011 season, and when he returned in 2012 he suffered a broken shoulder, but Bartell says that he thinks those injuries are just a sign of bad luck in the past, and not anything he needs to worry about going forward.

“One thing about my injuries were they were contact injuries,” Bartell told the Detroit Free Press. “Me being physical, going in and making a tackle and I get hit while making a tackle and I fracture my neck. Another injury I’m going in to make a tackle and I get hit by a teammate, I fracture my scapula. So kind of freak accidents. I’d be more worried if it was nagging injuries as far as pulls or tears, things of that nature.”

Bartell says his recent injury problems aren’t changing his approach.

“I’m not going to change the way I play,” he said. “I’m going to always tackle, be aggressive, be physical and try to disrupt the wide receivers. Like I said, that’s how I made a living in this league, that’s how I’ve been able to stick around nine years so I’m not going to change that now.”

“I’m going to always tackle, be aggressive, be physical and try to disrupt the wide receivers. Like I said, that’s how I made a living in this league, that’s how I’ve been able to stick around nine years so I’m not going to change that now.”

Was it this cb or our other cb that only played one game before season ending injury..

I guess it doesnt matter seeing as how both were injured in the first two games anyway lol

captainronmexico says:Jun 25, 2013 3:46 PM

Uh, yeah, except he came back from the broken shoulder last year and then played so badly he was (1) benched for an assortment of street free agents and kick returners (who played way better) then (2) cut.